Vendor Operations Manager

MCI is one of the fastest-growing tech-enabled business services companies in the USA, with a strong call center footprint and operations that extend across multiple countries. We deliver Customer Experience (CX), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and Anything-as-a-Service (XaaS) cloud technology solutions across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, retail, government, education, telecom, technology e-commerce, and financial services. Our contact centers are powered by both on-site and remote agents, leveraging advanced technologies to enhance customer journeys, drive scalability and reduce costs. 

At MCI we are committed to fostering an environment where professionals can build meaningful careers, access continuous learning and development opportunities and contribute to the success of a globally expanding, industry-leading organization.  

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Vendor Operations Manager to lead the performance, governance, and strategic management of external vendors and outsourced service partners across global operations.

This role plays a key part in ensuring service excellence, operational efficiency, commercial value, and compliance across the vendor ecosystem. The successful candidate will partner closely with operational leaders, commercial stakeholders, and support functions to drive vendor accountability, optimise service delivery, manage risk, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Please note: This role does not include relocation assistance. Any relocation costs will be the responsibility of the successful candidate.

To be considered for this role, you must complete a full application on our company careers page, including all screening questions and a brief pre-employment test.

Key Responsibilities:

Vendor Performance & Relationship Management

• Manage strategic relationships with external vendors and outsourced service providers.
• Establish and maintain effective governance frameworks and performance management processes.
• Conduct regular business reviews and performance discussions with vendor partners.
• Monitor and evaluate vendor performance against contractual obligations, SLAs, KPIs, quality standards, and operational targets.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service delivery, customer experience, and operational efficiency.

Operational Management

• Ensure vendors consistently achieve agreed service levels and business objectives.
• Collaborate with internal operational teams to support workforce planning, forecasting, and capacity management activities.
• Identify and resolve service delivery issues, operational risks, and escalations in a timely manner.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless operational execution and alignment with business priorities.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to contractual commitments, operational policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor vendor compliance with company standards, data privacy regulations, and industry best practices.
• Support internal and external audit activities, risk assessments, and governance reporting requirements.
• Proactively identify operational and compliance risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Reporting & Performance Analysis

• Develop and deliver regular operational, performance, and governance reporting.
• Analyse trends, performance metrics, and operational data to identify opportunities, risks, and areas for improvement.
• Present insights, recommendations, and performance updates to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Utilise data-driven decision-making to improve vendor performance and business outcomes.

Commercial & Contract Management

• Monitor vendor costs, invoicing accuracy, and financial performance.
• Support contract negotiations, renewals, vendor reviews, and commercial discussions.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, efficiency improvements, and value creation.
• Ensure vendors deliver against both operational and commercial expectations.

WONDER IF YOU ARE A GOOD FIT FOR THIS POSITION?

All positive, and driven applicants are encouraged to apply. The Ideal candidates for this position are highly motivated and dedicated and should possess the below qualities:

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree or Diploma in Business Management, Operations Management, Commerce, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in Vendor Management, Outsourcing, BPO Operations, Service Delivery Management, or a related operational leadership role.
• Proven experience managing third-party vendors, outsourced service providers, or global operational partners.
• Strong understanding of outsourcing, contact centre, customer experience, and service delivery environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing service performance through SLA, KPI, quality, and governance frameworks.
• Experience analysing operational performance data and translating insights into actionable improvement plans.
• Sound understanding of commercial management principles, including vendor financial performance, cost management, and contract oversight.
• Experience working within fast-paced, matrixed, and globally distributed operational environments.
• Proficiency in operational reporting, performance analysis, and stakeholder reporting.
• Excellent communication, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Experience managing multi-region or international vendor portfolios.
• Exposure to client-facing operational environments.
• Experience within customer experience (CX), shared services, digital outsourcing, or AI-enabled operations.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies and operational excellence practices.
• Experience supporting contract negotiations, vendor reviews, and commercial discussions.

Professional Skills & Capabilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking with the ability to balance operational, commercial, and customer priorities.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to drive accountability across internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to engage confidently with senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities within complex operational environments.
• Sound judgement in managing risk, governance, and compliance requirements.
• A collaborative approach to working across multiple functions, regions, and business units.
• A proactive and continuous improvement mindset focused on operational excellence and long-term business value.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Technology Exposure

Experience with platforms such as Salesforce, Zendesk, Power BI, Tableau, Workforce Management solutions, and contact centre technologies will be advantageous.

This job operates in a professional office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be largely sedentary and will be required to sit/stand for long periods while using a computer and telephone headset. The employee will be regularly required to operate a computer and other office equipment, including a phone, copier, and printer. The employee may occasionally be required to move about the office to accomplish tasks; reach in any direction; raise or lower objects, move objects from place to place, hold onto objects, and move or exert force up to forty (40) pounds.

All MCI Locations

• Must be authorized to work in the country where the job is based.

Subject to the program and location of the position

• Must be willing to submit up to a LEVEL II background and/or security investigation with a fingerprint.  Job offers are contingent on background/security investigation results.
• Must be willing to submit to drug screening.  Job offers are contingent on drug screening results. (Does not apply in Canada)

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is the policy of MCI and its affiliates to provide reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodations would cause undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment. If reasonable accommodations are needed, please contact Human Resources.

At MCI and its subsidiaries, we embrace differences and believe diversity is a benefit to our employees, our company, our customers, and our community.  All aspects of employment at MCI are based solely on a person's merit and qualifications.  MCI maintains a work environment free from discrimination, one where employees are treated with dignity and respect. All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling MCI's commitment to a diverse and equal opportunity work environment.

MCI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.  MCI will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with local and federal requirements.

MCI will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.  We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline. In addition, it is the policy of MCI to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances where an employee works.

MCI helps customers take on their CX and DX challenges differently, creating industry-leading solutions that deliver exceptional experiences and drive optimal performance. MCI assists companies with business process outsourcing, staff augmentation, contact center customer services, and IT Services needs by providing general and specialized hosting, software, staff, and services.

In 2019, Marlowe Companies Inc. (MCI) was named by Inc. Magazine as Iowa’s Fastest Growing Company in the State of Iowa and was named the 452nd Fastest Growing Privately Company in the USA, making the coveted top 500 for the first time. MCI’s subsidiaries had previously made Inc. Magazine's List of Fastest-Growing Companies 15 times, respectively. MCI has ten business process outsourcing service delivery facilities in Georgia, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Nova Scotia, South Africa, and the Philippines.

Driving modernization through digitalization, MCI ensures clients do more for less. MCI is the holding company for a diverse lineup of tech-enabled business services operating companies. MCI organically grows, acquires, and operates companies that have synergistic products and services portfolios, including but not limited to Automated Contact Center Solutions (ACCS), customer contact management, IT Services (IT Schedule 70), and Temporary and Administrative Professional Staffing (TAPS Schedule 736), Business Process Management (BPM), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Claims Processing, Collections, Customer Experience Provider (CXP), Customer Service, Digital Experience Provider (DXP), Account Receivables Management (ARM), Application Software Development, Managed Services, and Technology Services, to mid-market, Federal & enterprise partners. MCI now employs 10,000+ talented individuals with 150+ diverse North American client partners across the following MCI brands: MCI BPO, MCI BPOaaS, MarketForce,  GravisApps, Gravis Marketing, MarchEast, Mass Markets, MCI Federal Services (MFS), OnBrand24, The Sydney Call Center, Valor Intelligent Processing (VIP), BYC Aqua, EastWest BPO, TeleTechnology, and Vinculum.

The purpose of the above job description is to provide potential candidates with a general overview of the role. It's not an all-inclusive list of the duties, responsibilities, skills, and qualifications required for the job.  You may be asked by your supervisors or managers to perform other duties. You will be evaluated in part based upon your performance of the tasks listed in this job description.

The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or the employer may terminate employment at any time, for any reason.